Are you interested in creating a game for your training program? That is actually a good idea. One of the best ways to make your program interactive and boost retention is to turn it into a game. That does not mean you will turn the whole course into a game. But inserting games here and there should be enough to make things interesting.
The games that you can create will not only boost retention and capture the attention of your learners, it will also encourage competitiveness and engagement. It will even provide you with a venue to practice the skills that you are trying to impart through the training program. Of course, you need to learn how to incorporate this in the program.
Here are some tips that you can follow to help you create an effective elearning game.
- Start with a game layout. Create a design for your game even before you start creating your course. Will it be a simulation game that will help your learners apply the skills learned through relatable scenarios? Or will your game be in the form of multiple tasks that will earn badges for participants? You want to make sure that your layout will highlight the elements of the game as it will help you identify where it can be incorporated in the course. Sometimes, once you have begun creating the training course, you could go off track or completely forget where the game should be. Having a layout beforehand should help you remember if you need to insert a portion of the game or have it all in one part of the course.
- Make sure your game is aligned with the theme of your course. All training programs should have a set tone. While your game could liven up that tone, make sure you do not deviate from the overall theme. Be careful about the use of graphics, images and even audio. You want to make the program as consistent as you can. You can make the game in your training as striking as possible – but try not to overshadow the whole course. Since the theme of your course will depend on your audience, it helps to use them as your reference when creating your game.
- Create the game in such a way that it leads you to the goals and objective of the course. This is probably one of the most important tips in this list. Your game should not be there just to make the course interesting. It has to help reach your goal – which is mainly to teach your learners the right skills and knowledge. The game should be intended to develop or practice the skills that you want them to learn.
- Decide the difficulty level carefully. All you really have to do here is to look at the learners. Make sure that the difficulty level is something that the participants can overcome. If nobody can win in your game, they may be unable to completely learn the lesson. So make the game challenging but not too difficult that nobody can answer your game. If you also make the game too difficult, the learner might just give up – as opposed to feeling so challenged that they would want to learn more.
- Reveal the objective of the game. It is also important to discuss how the game will relate to the training program – even if it is just a brief explanation. This will help encourage the learners to participate fully in the mechanics of the game.
While these games will make your training program more exciting, make sure that it will not overpower the lesson. Remember that it is just a tool and not the core of your program.
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